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Three hiring tips for the modern CIO looking to optimize his IT team

By Mike Moore, Chief Information Officer –

The role of a CIO in 2015 differs vastly from the same position just five years ago. The influx of managed services has enabled companies to adopt a number of technologies and capabilities they either couldn’t afford before or hired several employees to handle. There’s now less up-front spending required for the same output, but the remaining funds need to be allocate in different ways as a result of these different needs. The first place to consider this adjustment is in personnel. Hiring is one of the most important things we, as CIOs, do every day. Since our jobs have changed, it’s important that the skills of those around us change, too.

Spend more money on fewer people

For every project or task we have to handle, we get a set budget. A portion of that is dedicated to staffing those projects. Previously, we had to bring in people to handle every part of the job or tap a number of employees to assist with different aspects. It led to huge teams and took employees away from other tasks within the organization that needed to get done. Now, we can look for men and women with proven track records. They may cost more individually because of their resumes, but they’re precisely the kind of people who encourage innovation and bring companies forward.

Smaller teams aid agility

With smaller teams, we move faster. It’s that simple. It’s just a matter of making sure your smaller team of IT experts can also understand business needs over just the latest and great technologies. These people prioritize the company’s goals and customer needs, and work toward the elegant solutions – not the most technically impressive. Fewer people means better communication, more efficient activity and a quicker arrival at what your business truly needs.

Business skills on top of tech acumen

The flashiest coders or programmers stood out in the past. We preferred them to others because we could never have too many employees with those skills. We aren’t writing as many programs anymore, though. We have an app or SaaS platform for practically everything. Now, we need to get the right projects done. IT pros who have a comprehensive understanding of the processes we run are the people we need.

It’s interesting to think back to five years ago and consider everything CIOs used to do given how obsolete much of it has become. However, like our new, smaller teams, we must remain agile. The role is going to be entirely different in 2020, as well, and ongoing success will depend on being ready for those changes when they come.